Addition material for ferrous metals



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RAUL D. MERIGA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND THOMAS H. W'IC nn, on smnn,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE INTERNATIONAL NlCKEL COMP, F NEW ADDITIONMATERIAL FOR'EER'US ALS.

Ito Drawing.

;Our invention relates to the adding of nickel to cast irons or steels,and is designed especially to overcome the dificulty arising from thehigh melting point of nickel, particularly as compared to cast ironand-other nickel is added to the molten cast iron in the ladle, 'it hasbeen dificult to prevent segregation on account of incompletemelting ofthe nickel, and also in some'cases there has been a tendency'to produceblow-holes. Our invention is designed to overcome these dificultieswhich are due mainlyto the fact that cast iron melts at a much lowertemperature than' nickel and to the introduction of a small amount ofoxygen or oxide with the nickel. The invention consists in uniting withthe nickel previous to its addition to the ferrous metal a substance orsubstances which will lower the melting point of the nickel, and whichwill have no deleterious action upon the ferrous metal to which thenickel is added.

Commercial cast iron contains usually 3 from .7 5 to 3.5 per cent ofsilicon, from '.10 to 1.5 per cent of phosphorus and from 2.5 to 4. ercent of carbon, with certain other meta oids. I

Inasmuch as carbon and silicon are presout in the cast iron and alsoserve to lower the melting point of nickel we prefer to employ these twomaterials for adding to the nickel, and we prefer to add to the nickelfrom .25 to 2.5 per cent of carbon, and from 1 to 10 per-cent ofsilicon. In practice, we have successfully em loyed from 2 to 6 per centof silicon and a out 7 to 1 er cent of carbon in the nickel, and the moel thus combined has a melting point cient ly near cast iron so that itis well melted and dis-' solved in the cast iron and an excellent oastiron nickel alloy produced. -We have often used about 5 per cent ofnickel thus treated as the addition to the cast iron. It will benotedthat with the dpreferred amounts of silicon d carbon ad ed to thenickel, there is no material change in the percentages of thesemetalloids in the final cast iron nickel The aluminum also serves to ,N.Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Application filed MarchIO, 1924. Serial No. 698,284.

alloy, and we preferably make the additions to the nickel in suchpercentages that there 5 is no material chan e in the metalloidpercentages of the cast ll'OIl. This is one of the advantages of addingmaterials-to the nickelwhich do not materially change the analysis ofthecast iron itself. The effect of the W silicon and carbon is also ofadvantage in that their presence tends to eliminate any traces of oxidesin-the nickel addition, which oxides might react with the carbon of theiron to produce blow-holes.

We have also added aluminum to the nickel along with the carbon andsilicon. further slightly decrease the melting point'and prevent anytrace of oxidation. It also has a deoxidizing effect on the ferrousmetals of which the nickel is made. When this material is added to theiron it also tends to produce a noticeable amount of heat by chemicalreaction which tends to sustain the'temperature. of the molten iron andprovide a longer time for the solution of the nickel. The aluminum ispreferably added to the nickel in a percentage of .1 to 5. per cent, andwe have adde 1 per cent with good results.

The nick l alloy is preferably formed into shot before adding tothe castiron or ferrous material, if it 'is' to be added to a molten bath. Whenaluminum is added to the nickel alloy, it tends to change the form of' 5the shot from round globules to small feathery-particles havingiagreater ratio of surface to volume and once giving more rapid'dissolvingin the iron.

The additions to the nickel may be made any desirable manner, forexample, the silicon may be added in the form of ferrosilicon, and thecarbon in the form of either flour carbon or tar coke.

The nickel with the artificially lowered 9 .melting point causedby theadditions to it may be added to thecupola in the'form of a small ingotmixed with the cupola charge, and thereby melt along with; the cast ironin the cupola, where theen'tire cupola charge is to be used in alloyform. v

Phosphorus maybe added to the nickel with or without the other additionsnamed, but should be used onl' in'linrited' amounts and in special casesw ere it 3 have hom metal to deleterious efiect on the ferrous which thenickel material is added. Where we have used the high-carbon low-siliconshot we have gotten good results from a shot which will pass through a 4inch screen. Ma nesium may alsobe used either with or wit out the otheradditions to the nickel to lower its melting point, and other variationsmay be made without departing from our invention, since we considerourselves the first to add to a ferrous material nickel havinganartificially lowered melting point to give better solution and mixing inthe alloy.

We claim:

1. As an addition material for molten cast iron baths, metallic nickelhaving alloyed therewith another material sufficient in percentage tolower the melting point of the alloy to substantially that of cast iron.

2. As an addition material for molten cast iron, metallic nickel havingalloyed therewith metalloid material'suflicient in amount to lower themelting point of the alloy to substantially that of cast iron.

3. In the manufacture of cast iron containing nickel, the stepconsisting of adding to a bath of molten cast iron metallic nickelhaving alloyed therewith another material sufiicient in amount to lowerthe melting point of the alloy to substantially that of cast iron.

4. In the manufacture of cast iron containing nickel, the stepconsisting of add ing to the bath of molten cast iron, metallic nickelin solid form and having alloyed therewith metalloid material suflicientin amount to lower the melting point of the alloy to substantially thatof the cast iron.

5. In the manufacture of cast iron con taining nickel, the stepconsisting of adding to a bath of molten cast iron metallic v nickel individed form and having alloyed therewith metalloid material sufficientin amount to lower the melting point of the latter to substantially thatof cast iron.

6. In the manufacture of 'cast' iron containing relatively smallproportions of nickel, the step consisting of adding to a bath of.molten cast'iron'a nickel alloy con- 2.5% and silicon from 1% to 10%.

9. In the making of a ferrousalloy, the step consisting bf adding toferrous material containing iron as a predominant element, nickelcontaining carbon 25% to 2.5%, silicon from 1% to 10% and aluminum from1% to 5%.

10. As an addition material for ferrous materials containing iron as apredominant element, nickel containing carbon 25% to 2.5%, silicon from1% to 10% and aluminum from .1% to 5%.

11. As an addition material for ferrous material containing iron as thepredominant element, nickel having added thereto a metalloidnon-injurious to iron and sufficient in amount to lower the meltingpoint of the nickel to substantially that of cast iron.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand.

PAUL D. MERICA. THOMAS H. WIOKENDEN.

